The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1887-11-26
INGERS0LL'S LOOKING GLASS FOR
ORTHODOXY.

A'OOOAO W. AuBcISOllS reply W nov.
DR.. Field, the editor of the New York
Evangelist, in the current number of the
North american ReuieoD, is a notable
and suggestive article. In it the au-
thor presents "The Agnostic Side,"
in return for the Presby terrain state
ment of Christianity with which he was
favored by Mr.. Field. Mr.. Ingersoll's
reply is one of the most brilliant per-
formances of the noted Agnostic. 1t is
eloquent, trenchant and vigorous; a
masterpiece of rhetoric and incisive
statement. The writer evidently recog-
nized his opportunity and improved it
admirably. That opportunity came to
him when Presbyterian divine at
tempted to expound the Christian re-
ligion and, as usual, fell into the mistake
of presenting Christianity in the form
of the current evangelical system, very
strongly seasoned with the teaching of
the Westminster Confession of Faith.
Mr.. Ingersoll does not relish this diet
of doctrine. He uses all his resources
of logic and remorseless eloquence to
portray the poison of the system prof
cred for his acceptance.
In the first part of the article Mr.. In
gersoll examines briefly the arguments
adduced by DR.. Field for the existence
of God and the truth of Immortality.
In presenting these arguments DR.. Field
was more successful than when defend
ing the special doctrines of the ortho-
dox system, and Mr.. Ingersoll's rhetoric
is accordingly more subdued in dealing
with them. On the question of the d.
vine existence he simply plants himself
on the agnostic platform: 81 do not
say that a God does not exist; but say
that do not know" and dismisses the
matter without serious consideration.
The grounds and reasons for belief in
the divine existence are not discussed.
1t is sufficient for Mr.. Ingersoll that
the evidence is, for him, not satisfac-
tory, and he declares that his mind is
so constituted that it is incapable of
even thinking of an infinite person
atty" This will be very widely re-
garded as the misfortune Of Ingersoll's
mental equipment, brilliant as that is
in other respects. The vast majority
of the great minds Of the world have
not been beset with this difficulty.
They have recognized, in some form or
another, the existence of God, and rem
dered him the tribute of their praise
and worship as ga reasonable service"
On the questi on of Immortality Mr..
Ingersoll is more reasonable and salts
factory, even while walking under the
shadows of his agnostic creed. He elo-
quently says: I" have said thousand
times, and say again, that the idea of
Immortality, that, like a sea has ebbed
and flowed in the human heart, with its
countless waves of hope and fear beat
ing against the shores and rocks of time
and fate, was not born of any book, nor
of any creed, nor of any religion. 1t
was born of human affection, and it will
continue to ebb and flow beneath the
mists and clouds of doubt and darkness
as long as love kisses the lips of DEATH"
1t is, however, the doctrine of eternal
damnation and the representation of
God which teaches that he inflicts this
doom on humanity, that falls under
the heaviest lash of Mr.. Ingersoll and
against which he employs his most
powerful logic, eloquence and invective.
The article is only another of the many
evidences constantly coming to hand
that Christianity is largely identified
in the minds of skeptics with this doc
trine, and that it is responsible for by
far the largest amount of the inidelity
that is current at the present day. Mr..
Ingersoll omits no opportunity to push
this doctrine to the forefront Of his ar
gument against Christianity, and large
ly predicates his opposition to the Bible
on the superstition that it teaches eter-
nal retribution.
Once in a while, however, he is just
enough to make distinction which in
heres in fact, as well as the form of
language which he chooses. He says to
rr. Field "Your creed transfers the
Inquisition to another world, making
it eternal. Your God becomes, or rather
is, an infinite Torquemada, who denies
to his countless victims even the mercy
of DEATH" And again he says to the
Presbyterian divine: "Think for mo-
ment of your God-the keeper of an in
finite penitentiary filed with immortal
convicts-yOur God, an eternal turnkey
without the pardoning power. In the
presence of this infinite horror you
complacently speak of the atonement-
scheme that has not yet gathered
within its horizon a billionth part of
the human race,-an atOnement with
one-half the world remaining undis-
covered for fifteen hundred years after
it was made"
Once more we may quote Ingersoll on
this point: According to your creed"
he says to DR.. Field, "the future state |